{"id":1441,"date":"2018-03-13T15:41:19","date_gmt":"2018-03-13T15:41:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/baileyonlineclassroom.com\/theamericasblog\/?p=1441"},"modified":"2018-03-13T15:41:19","modified_gmt":"2018-03-13T15:41:19","slug":"historic-moment-abortion-to-be-debated-in-argentinas-congress-al-jazeera","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/baileyonlineclassroom.com\/theamericasblog\/2018\/03\/13\/historic-moment-abortion-to-be-debated-in-argentinas-congress-al-jazeera\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;Historic Moment&#8217;: Abortion to Be Debated in Argentina&#8217;s Congress &#8211; Al Jazeera"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"row article-top-header\">\n<div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"col-md-8 article-top-header-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"article-heading\">\n<p>https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2018\/03\/argentina-women-groups-optimistic-legalising-abortion-180309135053069.html<\/p>\n<p>Women&#8217;s rights groups cautiously optimistic as more than 70 politicians introduce bill that would legalise abortion.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-heading-author-wrap\">\n<div class=\"article-heading-author-img\">\n<div class=\"article-heading-author-name\">by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/profile\/bala-chambers.html\" rel=\"author\">Bala Chambers<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"article-duration\">9 Mar 2018<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"article-top-share-icon\" class=\"article-readToMe-share-block\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"row article-main-content-wrapper\">\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"col-md-8 article-main-content\">\n<div>\n<div>\n<article id=\"main-article-block\" class=\"main-article-block clear-fix\">\n<div class=\"main-article-body\">\n<figure class=\"main-article-mediaCaption\">\n<div class=\"main-article-media\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-responsive main-article-media-img\" title=\"'Historic moment': Abortion to be debated in Argentina's Congress\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/mritems\/imagecache\/mbdxxlarge\/mritems\/Images\/2018\/3\/9\/0826ac6ad7424566ab02abe5c1535bcc_18.jpg\" alt=\"'Historic moment': Abortion to be debated in Argentina's Congress\" \/><\/div><figcaption>Activists shout pro-abortion rights slogans outside of Congress after the presentation of the abortion bill in Buenos Aires [Victor R Caivano\/AP Photo]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"article-more-on-block article-shaded-blocks article-embedded-card hidden-xs\">\n<h4 class=\"embeded-box-name\">MORE ON <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/topics\/country\/argentina.html\">ARGENTINA<\/a><\/h4>\n<ul class=\"article-more-on-ul\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2018\/03\/argentinas-failing-public-schools-studying-odyssey-180308110047150.html\">Argentina&#8217;s failing public schools: &#8216;Studying is an odyssey&#8217;<\/a>5 days ago<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2018\/03\/argentine-congress-debate-legalising-abortion-180307111600104.html\">Argentine Congress to debate legalising abortion<\/a>6 days ago<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2018\/03\/argentina-leader-face-trial-alleged-bombing-cover-180306095304305.html\">Argentina ex-leader to face trial over alleged bombing cover-up<\/a>last week<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2018\/02\/argentina-truckers-block-streets-protest-austerity-180222071404956.html\">Argentina truckers block streets to protest austerity<\/a>2 weeks ago<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"body-200771816342556199\" class=\"article-p-wrapper\">\n<p class=\"speakable\">Women&#8217;s rights groups in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/topics\/country\/argentina.html\">Argentina<\/a> are expressing cautious optimism after dozens of politicians introduced legislation that would legalise abortion.<\/p>\n<p>The bill, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2018\/03\/argentine-congress-debate-legalising-abortion-180307111600104.html\">introduced<\/a> by more than 70 members of Congress on Tuesday, would allow women to have the procedure during the first 14 weeks of her pregnancy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"speakable\">Currently, abortion is only allowed in the predominantly Catholic country when the mother&#8217;s health is at risk, in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/americas\/2012\/03\/2012314135030394536.html\">cases of rape<\/a> or if the fetus is extremely deformed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"speakable\">Activists, holding green handkerchiefs, which has come to symbolise <a class=\"InternalLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/topics\/subjects\/abortion.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">abortion rights<\/a> in the country, cheered outside Congress in the capital Buenos Aires on Tuesday as the bill was introduced.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s striking what we are achieving in such little time,&#8221; said Julia Lopez, who is part of Socorristas En Red, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/topics\/issues\/women-rights.html\">women&#8217;s rights<\/a> collective of 50 different advocacy groups across Argentina.<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"imagecontainer item\">\n<table class=\"image\" border=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/mritems\/Images\/2018\/3\/9\/f4fdc4fe87ca47c5bad58ce27539e263_18.jpg\" border=\"0\" \/><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"caption\">A woman shouts slogans next to a sign that reads &#8216;Legal abortion&#8217; during a demonstration on International Women&#8217;s Day in Buenos Aires [Marcos Brindicci\/Reuters]<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Abortion has been debated at least six times before, but momentum for new legislation has grown since President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/topics\/people\/mauricio-macri.html\">Mauricio Macri<\/a>, who has publicly stated he opposes abortion, said he would not stand in the way of the debate.<\/p>\n<p>Pablo Bessone, a professor at la Universidad Nacional de Villa Maria, Cordoba described the number of signatures on Tuesday&#8217;s bill as a &#8220;record&#8221;, adding that previous petitions only received &#8220;around 25, 30, 33 signatures&#8221;.<\/p>\n<h2>&#8216;Public health problem&#8217;<\/h2>\n<p>According to Bessone, the debate has shifted from focussing on the morality of the issue to framing abortion as a &#8220;public health problem&#8221;.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-also-read article-embed-tb-block article-embedded-card \">\n<div class=\"topic-label\">READ MORE<\/div>\n<h4><a class=\"article-embed-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2018\/03\/argentine-congress-debate-legalising-abortion-180307111600104.html\">Argentine Congress to debate legalising abortion<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<p>Aracelia Ferreyra, who was among the politicians who presented the bill, said on Tuesday, &#8220;This is a topic of equality and inequality, because those who do not have money pay with their health or their bodies.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>According to Bessone, &#8220;The issue has a lot to do with the unequal social structures that exist, pushing women from the most vulnerable and impoverished sectors towards clandestine abortions.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>He added that &#8220;those females who die are the poorest&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>The Argentine government estimates that there are between 370,000 and 522,000 clandestine abortions each year. Rights groups and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/topics\/organisations\/world-health-organisation.html\">World Health Organization<\/a> say the figure could be much higher. According to the bill, about a third of maternal deaths result from the clandestine procedures, Reuters news agency reported.<\/p>\n<h2>Pushback from religious conservatives<\/h2>\n<p>But anti-abortion rights campaigners worry that legalising the procedure could increase violence against women.<\/p>\n<p>Maria Rodriguez, a spokeswoman with Frente Joven, a group of young anti-abortion rights activists, said her organisation fears &#8220;more men will coerce their partners to abort against their will&#8221;.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-opinion-bodySideBlock article-embed-tb-block article-embedded-card\"><a class=\"topic-label\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/indepth\/opinion\/\">OPINION<\/a><\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"article-quote-icon\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/assets\/images\/quote.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/span><a class=\"article-embed-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/indepth\/opinion\/2017\/03\/women-world-unite-170305124009182.html\">Women of the world, unite!<\/a><\/h4>\n<div class=\"article-bodySideBlockOpinion-author-wrap\">\n<div class=\"article-bodySideBlockOpinion-author-img\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/profile\/winnie-byanyima.html,\/profile\/agustina-paz-frontera.html\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-responsive\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/mritems\/imagecache\/profilemed\/mritems\/Images\/2017\/3\/6\/b2837c3f7a0a42ec97876dfe80ed713e_6.jpg\" alt=\"Winnie Byanyima,Agustina Paz Frontera\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"article-bodySideBlockOpinion-author-name\">by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/profile\/winnie-byanyima.html,\/profile\/agustina-paz-frontera.html\">Winnie Byanyima,Agustina Paz Frontera<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Pro-abortion rights activists maintain that whether illegal or not &#8220;abortion is a practice that exists and will continue to exist&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s prevalent across the world,&#8221; Ruth Zubriggen, another member of Socorristas En Red, said.<\/p>\n<p>The bill could pass the lower house, but according to Bessone, it will face its &#8220;main obstacles&#8221; in the conservative Senate.<\/p>\n<p>Still, pro-abortion rights activists remain hopeful that enough pressure will be put on politicians to get the legislation passed.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We feel empowered because it&#8217;s an historic moment, which we the feminists have achieved \u2026 to put the topic on the agenda to be debated,&#8221; Lopez said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2018\/03\/argentina-women-groups-optimistic-legalising-abortion-180309135053069.html Women&#8217;s rights groups cautiously optimistic as more than 70 politicians introduce bill that would legalise abortion. by Bala Chambers 9 Mar 2018 Activists shout pro-abortion rights slogans outside of Congress after the presentation of the abortion bill in Buenos Aires [Victor R Caivano\/AP Photo] MORE ON ARGENTINA Argentina&#8217;s failing public schools: &#8216;Studying is an odyssey&#8217;5 days ago Argentine Congress&#8230; <a href=\"https:\/\/baileyonlineclassroom.com\/theamericasblog\/2018\/03\/13\/historic-moment-abortion-to-be-debated-in-argentinas-congress-al-jazeera\/\">Read more &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":57,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1441","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/baileyonlineclassroom.com\/theamericasblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1441","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/baileyonlineclassroom.com\/theamericasblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/baileyonlineclassroom.com\/theamericasblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/baileyonlineclassroom.com\/theamericasblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/57"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/baileyonlineclassroom.com\/theamericasblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1441"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/baileyonlineclassroom.com\/theamericasblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1441\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1442,"href":"https:\/\/baileyonlineclassroom.com\/theamericasblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1441\/revisions\/1442"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/baileyonlineclassroom.com\/theamericasblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1441"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/baileyonlineclassroom.com\/theamericasblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1441"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/baileyonlineclassroom.com\/theamericasblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1441"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}